Chemical Peels for Age Spots
Age spots are those blemishes on the skin, especially on the face that are exposed to the sun. They may come in different shapes, sizes and shades. Depending on the length of exposure or how many times one has been “burned” by the sun, prevalence is equal among men and women over the age of forty. They might have forgotten to put on sun block during their younger years, hence, constant sun bathing will usually result to this. Age spots are usually areas of the skin that get damaged and show uneven coloration that some persons may find them not nice to look at and even times repulsive.
Though there are many ways to get rid of age spots such as laser treatment, ointments and cream or even some home remedies, chemical peels are used to treat age spots as well. Chemical peels or dermexfoliation or derma-peeling usually involves applying a solution on the face for a certain time or times to slowly kill or blister the topmost layer allowing it to peel and fall off regenerating the skin and growing a new layer. Chemical peel procedures usually take around 20 minutes per session and patients may feel a warm to almost hot sensation. A stinging sensation may also be felt and a cold compress may be placed on the face to relieve it. This new layer will appear smoother and give a younger looking skin. This new face will also be less wrinkled making the patient feel and look decades younger without having a facelift or Botox injection.
Chemical peels are performed or done inside the doctor’s office. The face or area to be treated is thoroughly cleansed removing excess facial oils and the hair or the eyes are protected. And then before the actual procedure, patient may be advised to take prophylactic antibiotic medicines as a precaution from bacterial infection. They would also be advised to stop taking some other medicines that might affect the chemical peel procedure. But not all peels require these strict measures; they only depend on the amount of peeling needed or the depth of the peel to take place. Usually, chemical peels are well tolerated by patients and after the gore of peeling off their dead skin; they are very impressed with the results.
Most fair skinned or light haired persons are good candidates for chemical peels for age spots. Some people who are dark skinned may also have favorable results depending on the degree of peeling to be made. Also, after the procedure, patients are advised to stay indoors to get away from the sun. If they should go out, they must wear sunscreen or sun block with a high sun protective factor or SPF to be sure that the new skin if free from sun burn. Chemical peels are also used to remove minor wrinkles caused by sun damage, fine lines on the brows or under the eyes, remove or improve the looks of scars or treat certain acnes.
